Millet is the peeled seeds of millet, and millet, as you know, is one of the most ancient cultivated cereals. An unpretentious plant was grown as an agricultural crop in southern Europe and the Caucasus, in Mongolia and North Africa. And then they brought corn, and very quickly it replaced millet ...
But the situation is changing: the familiar and even somewhat forgotten millet is gaining popularity as another “super product”. And not in vain!
Solid benefit
In terms of vegetable protein content, millet is not inferior to wheat, but at the same time it is a gluten-free product. By the way, it is millet flour that gives gluten-free pastries the familiar wheat flavor. Millet is high in fiber, has a low glycemic index, and is skewed toward alkaline acidity. Generally, sheer benefit. Now it's up to the small thing - to learn how to cook it tasty and varied.
Proper storage
The first thing you need to know about millet relates to buying and storing: due to the high fat content, millet spoils much faster than other cereals, so when buying, pay attention to the shelf life and store in the refrigerator. Then the millet will not have bitterness and an unpleasant rancid smell. And it is also believed that bright yellow millet is tastier and more crumbly than pale.
How to cook
Depending on the amount of liquid, millet will turn out viscous porridge or crumbly garnish. But regardless of the recipe, you need to start cooking by thoroughly washing the cereal in hot water until this water becomes completely clear. And then cook, choosing the desired consistency - viscous or crumbly. In short, the situation is this: the more liquid, the more viscous the porridge will be. Loose millet it will turn out in conditions of "lack of water" and calm, without stirring, cooking - in fact, steaming. And it can be used as a side dish or in salads instead of couscous, bulgur and expensive quinoa.
5 super millet dishes
Super salad with millet
In summer, you especially want lightness, but you won’t be full of grass alone. Throw in some healthy carbs like millet and protein foods like feta, and the green turns into a vegan superfood.
Spring salad with millet
Millet porridge - a delicious basic recipe
Sometimes the most simple meals require special attention. Like, for example, the usual . Master its preparation, and you will have some more excellent vegetarian dishes in your hands.
Basic millet porridge recipe
Pancakes with millet
They are sunny in color and have a familiar but unrecognizable taste, this is. It is not necessary to cook porridge on purpose, the remaining one is quite suitable, just dilute it with water or milk to the desired density.
Millet pancakes
Fashionable dish - polenta with millet
Real polenta is made from corn grits, but millet is more familiar, and will soon become more fashionable. So try to cook: - this is both a side dish, and a satisfying element of a green salad, and the basis for bruschetta. And just a snack, after all.
Baked millet polenta
Stocking up on millet popcorn
Popcorn is made from just about anything to be used as a crunchy addition to salads and snacks. You have to make more than two movements, but sometimes it's even interesting. Keep in mind: millet must be slightly overcooked.
Millet popcorn
The existence of such tasty and, most importantly, healthy cereals as millet was undeservedly forgotten, and in fact recently it was the most popular and valuable food product for almost all residents of the Russian Empire.
Millet is a refined grain of millet, which is an annual herbaceous cereal that began to be grown about 5,000 years ago in what is now Asia, southern Europe, and central Africa.
Why is so useful and, pleasantly, inexpensive cereals today so rarely used for cooking various dishes? Perhaps modern chefs simply do not know that it is possible to cook from it not only porridge, but also many other interesting dishes.
Millet groats in Russia have always been called "golden groats", which is not surprising: firstly, its bright yellow, almost golden color played a big role. And secondly, our ancestors were well aware of the rich composition and mass useful properties, which is full of millet. Try it and you will definitely like its rich and at the same time light taste.
By the way, millet is considered to be dietary product, and therefore it is recommended for use by all those who want to lose weight.
Useful properties of millet groats, first of all, are determined by its rich composition, which resembles a whole storehouse of valuable vitamins and microelements, which we for some reason forgot about. Did you know that it contains even more protein than barley or rice, and phosphorus than any meat, folic acid than corn or wheat?
Millet is rich in B vitamins (among them B1, B2, B6 and B9), vitamins PP and C, as well as healthy fats, amino acids and minerals, including iron, manganese, magnesium, sodium, potassium and many others. Regular consumption of millet groats prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques, and also helps to remove toxins, heavy metal ions and even antibiotics from the body.
Dish recipes
Naturally, the most famous and popular dish from millet is porridge, it is easy to cook, the result is delicious, especially if seasoned with any additives, such as vegetables, pumpkin or dried fruits.
There are several secrets to make the porridge as crumbly, fragrant and, of course, tasty as possible. Before use, the cereal must be sorted out, and then washed several times under the tap, the last time in hot water.
It is important to know that the surface of millet grains is usually covered with a thin fatty film, which can only be washed off with hot water, otherwise, all the grains will stick together during cooking. If the cereal has been lying for quite some time, it is not recommended to cook it right away, as it can be bitter.
But getting rid of this effect is simple: just fry it in a dry frying pan, and then rinse it with boiling water immediately before cooking. During cooking, do not forget that millet groats can increase in size by 4 times, after the porridge is cooked, let it stand for half an hour with the lid closed - it will absorb the remaining water and swell well.
vegetable soup recipe
For cooking we need:
- potatoes - 3 pcs.;
- milk - 1 glass;
- carrots - 1 pc.;
- parsley root - 0.5 pcs.;
- sour cream - 1 tbsp. the spoon;
- millet groats - 1 tbsp. the spoon;
- dill, salt.
The recipe is very simple, and therefore even the most inexperienced hostess can perfectly cope with it. We prepare millet according to the method described above, then fill it with water and boil until cooked. Boil potatoes, parsley root and carrots in a separate container until cooked, let cool, and then peel, cut into small slices.
We combine cereals and vegetables, puree with a blender and pour hot milk, mix everything thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring and remove from heat. Before serving the soup, it must be seasoned with salt, herbs and sour cream to taste.
Recipe for pumpkin and millet casserole
What we need:
- millet - 200 g;
- pumpkin - 450 g;
- milk - 500 ml;
- butter- 50 g;
- eggs - 1 pc.;
- salt.
We peel the pumpkin, cut into small slices and lightly fry in oil. We wash millet groats with cold and hot water, and then pour milk and cook until tender.
5 minutes before readiness, add pumpkin, salt and beat in an egg, mix everything thoroughly and salt. The resulting mixture must be laid out on a baking sheet prepared in advance and greased with butter. Bake until done at 180°.
Millet is the seeds of millet, one of the most common cereal crops grown in Russia. Dishes prepared with the addition of millet groats are healthy and quite satisfying, they are saturated with protein, fats and vitamins.
Features of millet groats
Millet is practically hypoallergenic among other cereals, which is why it is so well absorbed by the body even in a person with a rather whimsical digestion. But also millet dishes have a tonic, urinary and diaphoretic effect. And also millet is recommended while taking antibiotics, because it removes residual bodies and various toxins.
Be sure to pay attention to the date of manufacture of cereals, since its shelf life is only six months, after which it begins to taste bitter. So that the cereal does not taste bitter, before cooking it must be placed in boiling water for several minutes or warmed up in a hot frying pan in an unsoaked form, then rinsed several times.
From millet groats, you can make a large number of simple and delicious meals that will appeal to both the gourmet and the person who monitors their weight.
Almost all dishes are dietary or lean, if not abused by adding roast and sweetness.
Kashi
In all recipes for millet cereals, the base is first prepared, in fact, the cereal itself: first, the millet is moved and cleaned of dark grains, after which it is scalded or poured with boiling water for 5 minutes so that it does not become bitter in the future, and washed with warm or cold water with a sieve until the water runs clear.
For ordinary millet porridge, water or milk is added at the rate of 1 cup of cereal to 3 cups of liquid. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer for an average of 10 minutes. After boiling, salt and sugar are added as needed. It is better to cook porridge with an open lid in a cast-iron pan. When the porridge is ready, be sure to add butter. Then you need to cover the pan with a lid, remove it from the burner and wrap it so that the porridge absorbs all the remaining liquid and swells.
Delicious and healthy breakfast there will be porridge with the addition of fresh pumpkin. Here, in addition to the standard ingredients, you will need vanillin, fresh peeled pumpkin and raisins. To prepare this dish, 300 grams of pumpkin is peeled and cut into large pieces. The resulting pieces are placed in a container and filled with water so that they are completely covered. The entire contents of the pan are brought to a boil and boiled for 20 minutes.
A traditional Russian dish made from millet groats is, of course, yellow crumbly porridge, which can be cooked both in water and in milk. True sweet tooth can add jam, sugar and raisins with dried apricots to porridge.
Washed millet and raisins. We beat the boiled pumpkin with a blender, add grits, salt and soaked raisins to it. Put the pan on a small fire and cook for 5 minutes, then pour in a liter of warm milk and cook for another 15 minutes, not forgetting to stir. Add 100 grams of sugar and 1 gram of vanilla. When the porridge is cooked, fill it with butter, cover with a lid and insist.
Porridge can also be prepared as a main dish by adding meat and frying to it. Here you need to additionally take chicken fillet, carrots, onions, tomato paste.
First, prepare the base - porridge. While it is cooking, we are engaged in fillet (400 grams). Cut it into cubes, fry in a pan for about 7 minutes, pepper, salt, then add already fried chicken pieces to the porridge, mix, cook for another 15 minutes.
Cooking frying - add a spoon to the grated carrots with chopped onions tomato paste and fry. When the porridge is cooked, frying is added to the pan, everything is mixed, brought to a boil and cooked for another 2 minutes. Turn off the fire and insist the porridge with the lid already closed.
If you have a slow cooker, then you can try another version of porridge - millet and rice. Prepare cereals (millet and rice) and mix them. Put the mixture in a slow cooker, add 4 cups of milk and 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and salt. The "Milk porridge" mode is set for 50 minutes. When the time has passed, add the oil and mix everything.
For taste, you can add pre-soaked raisins or dried apricots.
Soups
Millet groats are also often used for cooking first courses. An example of this is dietary fish soup or millet soup with meat.
Fish soup can be prepared both at home and outdoors from freshly caught fish. Fish heads, tails or whole fish are taken. In fish heads, it is better to remove the gills and eyes, wash, salt and boil. Prepare a glass of cereal. From vegetables, potatoes, carrots and onions are placed in the ear, which are cut into cubes.
Take out the boiled fish, and place the grits in the water. Pepper, throw bay leaf and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Return fish and bring back to a boil. When serving, decorate the ear with chopped fresh herbs.
For a variant of millet soup with meat, half a kilogram of chicken fillet and vegetables is enough. Boil the meat in salted and peppered water. Finely chop the onion and carrots and sauté vegetable oil. Peeled potatoes cut into cubes. Prepare a glass of millet, as for porridge. When the meat is cooked, you need to cut it into pieces and return to the pan. Add potatoes and millet, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, removing the foam. Next, put the roast and bring to a boil again.
Main courses
For those who fast interesting recipe will lean cabbage rolls, for which you need 200 grams of millet, a small onion, one carrot, two bell peppers, three tomatoes, green onion, parsley and Chinese cabbage.
We prepare and cook millet. Disassemble the cabbage by leaves, dip them in boiling water for 1 minute, remove, cool. Fry finely chopped onions, adding grated carrots and bell peppers to it. Mix everything with boiled millet.
In prepared cabbage leaves put the filling and carefully wrap them, then put the cabbage rolls in pots or a baking sheet. Put browned tomatoes on top, add a little water and bake in the oven for half an hour at 200 degrees.
Millet cutlets with cheese and meatballs are economical and tasty dishes at the same time.
For cutlets you will need a glass of millet groats, 100 grams of any hard grade, a raw egg, dill and breadcrumbs.
Boil millet and cool. Here we add the egg, finely grated cheese, chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly and form cutlets. Roll them in breadcrumbs and fry on both sides. For meatballs, instead of cheese, fried onions are put.
Bakery
Oddly enough, but millet is used in baking both in the form of cereals and in the form of flour.
For example, delicious and tender three-layer cottage cheese casserole would be perfect morning breakfast or just a treat. Three-layer baking: for the first layer - milk, millet, sugar, butter; for the second - cottage cheese, powdered sugar, raw egg and sour cream; the third layer is apples, granulated sugar and lemon juice.
If you want to surprise your family with something more complex and refined than millet porridge, then you can use one of the many recipes for boiled cereals.
Sweet boiled millet casserole with berries
Ingredients:boiled millet - 400 g
butter - 50 g
egg - 2 pcs.
berries (cherries, strawberries, currants) - 200 g
honey or sugar - 50 g
cinnamon - to taste
salt
How to cook millet casserole with berries:
Butter must be room temperature, the yolks are separated from the whites. The butter is whipped, honey (or sugar) and yolks are introduced.
Proteins are whipped separately, then porridge with a sweet mixture is carefully added. Peel the berries from seeds and leaves (if the berries are not sweet enough, you can add a little sugar to them).
The form is lubricated with oil, half of the mixture with porridge is laid out on the bottom, berries are placed in the next layer, the second half of the porridge completes the dish.
Everything is sprinkled with cinnamon and put in the oven for half an hour. In the process, a warm and sweet aroma will soar around the house, stimulating the appetite.
You can also make a savory casserole from boiled millet.
Spicy millet casserole with mushrooms
Ingredients:boiled millet - 400 g
any mushrooms - 500 g
onion - 1 pc.
chili pepper - 1 pc.
sour cream - 1 can (400 g)
egg - 2 pcs.
butter for frying
salt
greenery
How to cook spicy millet casserole with mushrooms:
To begin with, the pan is heated, the butter is heated, the onion is finely chopped and fried. When it is slightly reddened, sliced \u200b\u200bmushrooms are thrown.
Eggs are driven into the porridge, almost all sour cream is poured (a little is left to grease the casserole) and the mass is thoroughly mixed.
Half of the mixture with porridge is placed in a greased form, then mushrooms and the second half of the porridge. The top is smeared with the rest of the sour cream.
The casserole goes into the oven for half an hour. During cooking, the main thing is to stock up on great patience, because not everyone can do such a test with aromas.
Millet is prepared not only delicious casseroles but also stuffing.
Millet filling for chicken zrazy
Ingredients:
Boiled millet - 400 g
minced chicken- 600 g
bread (crust) - 2 slices
sour cream - 2 tbsp. spoons
egg - 2 pcs.
garlic - 2 cloves
frying oil
breadcrumbs
salt
pepper
How to cook millet filling for zrazy:
Minced meat is mixed with eggs, salted, peppered, garlic is added, passed through a press. The bread is soaked in boiling water, squeezed and mixed into the minced meat.
Millet is mixed with sour cream. A small cake is rolled out of the minced meat, a teaspoon of millet is in the middle, closed with another cake and a cutlet is formed.
Rolled in breadcrumbs. And so with all the ingredients until they run out. The pan is heated, oil is poured and the zrazy are fried on both sides until golden brown. Such cutlets will please even the most picky fussy eater.
